If ONLY .........

[hoolahoop]

We had put 6-8 points more on the board . We have dropped some stupid points this season and lost ridiculous games.
I believe that with 3/4 more quality players we could be in the 2nd Tier again . IF ONLY .....

[BillyStubbsTears]

Win on Tuesday and we could be 8 points off the playoffs with a match in hand.

Surely not...

[steve@dcfd]

We had put 6-8 points more on the board . We have dropped some stupid points this season and lost ridiculous games.
I believe that with 3/4 more quality players we could be in the 2nd Tier again . IF ONLY .....

You are right about 3/4 more players,  but forget the losses if we have scored 1 more goal in 6/8 drawn games we be in the playoffs. Some of  players we require need goal threat from midfield and another up front.

[steve@dcfd]

Win on Tuesday and we could be 8 points off the playoffs with a match in hand.

Surely not...

Yes Billy still the fourth best defence in the league, keeping our GD positive more goals would help.

[BigKeif]

If only, yes but I’m happy with consolidating this season as we’d defibitely wouldn’t be good enough for the championship next season.

I’d rather see ya build up to it next season so we have a good shot at the championship.

[drfchound]

All this if only business is rubbish.
If we had conceded one more goal in 6 or 8 drawn matches we would be in the bottom four.
All the conjecture is with hindsight.

On the other hand, when some supporters were showing concern at the lack of wins, maybe they had a valid reason.

Maybe some of the fans having a go at those supporters might see that there was justification in them voicing concerns, with hindsight of course.

[dickos1]

All this if only business is rubbish.
If we had conceded one more goal in 6 or 8 drawn matches we would be in the bottom four.
All the conjecture is with hindsight.

On the other hand, when some supporters were showing concern at the lack of wins, maybe they had a valid reason.

Maybe some of the fans having a go at those supporters might see that there was justification in them voicing concerns, with hindsight of course.

On the contrary, I would imagine the people who were saying it was far too early in the season to be throwing the toys out the pram as there’s still 30 odd games to go can feel justified in their comments back in October.

Nobody was saying we’re not winning enough games to reach the playoffs, it was all doom and gloom.

The season is looking like turning out to be a very good one, I don’t think we’ve even set foot in the relegation places all season have we?

[Jonathan]

It’s a game of fine margins and we are where we deserve to be, and I’m happy with that.

We could speculate forever about what a few goals either way might have done. But the fact is we’re in the middle of the table which most would have taken I think. If lots of our fans had their way we would have jeopardised that by needlessly changing the manager and jettisoning one of the most effective strikers in the league. Thankfully they didn’t.

[ravenrover]

Correct me if I am wrong but aren't Rochdale the only team in the bottom 4 able to catch us, that is assuming we don't win another game?

[BigH]

All this if only business is rubbish.
If we had conceded one more goal in 6 or 8 drawn matches we would be in the bottom four.
All the conjecture is with hindsight.

On the other hand, when some supporters were showing concern at the lack of wins, maybe they had a valid reason.

Maybe some of the fans having a go at those supporters might see that there was justification in them voicing concerns, with hindsight of course.

On the contrary, I would imagine the people who were saying it was far too early in the season to be throwing the toys out the pram as there’s still 30 odd games to go can feel justified in their comments back in October.

Nobody was saying we’re not winning enough games to reach the playoffs, it was all doom and gloom.

The season is looking like turning out to be a very good one, I don’t think we’ve even set foot in the relegation places all season have we?

Steady on Dickos, we've stayed up. Not exactly a vintage season or, for that matter, a 'very good one'.

Where I do get a bit excited is that I think that we have a group of players who have at last found  bit of belief in themselves. That bodes well for next season (looking at Shrewsbury this season compared to last shows what can happen when it clicks). Get Houghton and sign a decent forward to go alongside Marquis and Kiwomya and I think we have the potential to be challenging for a top 6 position.

[drfchound]

You are correct Raven but apart from the bottom three, all the other teams below us could go past us if we had yet another disastrous end to the season.
It won’t happen though.

[NigelJ]

Correct me if I am wrong but aren't Rochdale the only team in the bottom 4 able to catch us, that is assuming we don't win another game?

No, MK Dons are on 42 points with four games left.

[POD]

Only 3 defeats in the last 18 games, one against Rotherham which we were winning up to stoppage time and one against Bristol Rovers where we had lost all 3 of our central defenders.  The only game where we were well beaten was at Walsall where we didn't turn up (for the second time this season against a team rapidly heading towards League 2).
The reason that we are not closer to the play offs is not just those 'if only' games where we have lost points in stoppage time, but also those games where we have been content to play for a draw, when we could have pushed on for the win. 
Overall, though a good consolidation season and with a stronger squad next time around, we could be pushing closer for the play offs.

[drfchound]

BigH, that summing up of yours is a good one mate.
After 15 games (a third of the season)we had just one point per game and the Walsall 3-0 home defeat had supporters wondering where we were heading.
It was hardly a good start to the season and at times only goal difference was keeping us out of the bottom four.

However, things improved and our form since just before Christmas has been good enough for us to get the mid table slot that most of us were hoping for.

Although we haven’t lost many games since then, we also haven’t won many either, draws being the general order of the day.

I still hope that we can pick up another 18 points from the last six games as the teams from 5th to 9th are all stumbling and although it is unlikely, if we could win the last six games, we might just make the top six.

Now that would be a very good season.

[dickos1]

All this if only business is rubbish.
If we had conceded one more goal in 6 or 8 drawn matches we would be in the bottom four.
All the conjecture is with hindsight.

On the other hand, when some supporters were showing concern at the lack of wins, maybe they had a valid reason.

Maybe some of the fans having a go at those supporters might see that there was justification in them voicing concerns, with hindsight of course.

On the contrary, I would imagine the people who were saying it was far too early in the season to be throwing the toys out the pram as there’s still 30 odd games to go can feel justified in their comments back in October.

Nobody was saying we’re not winning enough games to reach the playoffs, it was all doom and gloom.

The season is looking like turning out to be a very good one, I don’t think we’ve even set foot in the relegation places all season have we?

Steady on Dickos, we've stayed up. Not exactly a vintage season or, for that matter, a 'very good one'.

Where I do get a bit excited is that I think that we have a group of players who have at last found  bit of belief in themselves. That bodes well for next season (looking at Shrewsbury this season compared to last shows what can happen when it clicks). Get Houghton and sign a decent forward to go alongside Marquis and Kiwomya and I think we have the potential to be challenging for a top 6 position.

There’s a decent chance we could finish in the top ten, I wouldn’t describe that as just staying up?
Throughout the season I don’t think we’ve even been in the relegation zone.
I think after promotion finishing in around the top half is a very good season

[dickos1]

BigH, that summing up of yours is a good one mate.
After 15 games (a third of the season)we had just one point per game and the Walsall 3-0 home defeat had supporters wondering where we were heading.
It was hardly a good start to the season and at times only goal difference was keeping us out of the bottom four.

However, things improved and our form since just before Christmas has been good enough for us to get the mid table slot that most of us were hoping for.

Although we haven’t lost many games since then, we also haven’t won many either, draws being the general order of the day.

I still hope that we can pick up another 18 points from the last six games as the teams from 5th to 9th are all stumbling and although it is unlikely, if we could win the last six games, we might just make the top six.

Now that would be a very good season.

Whilst I agree with the point we’ve drawn a lot of games since Christmas, we’ve actually won only 2 fewer games than we’ve drawn. So it can’t really be said that draws have been the order of the day or that we’ve not won many games.
Since xmas we’ve drawn 8, won 6, lost 3.
That form over a season would get you into the playoffs.

[Pancho Regan]

Hoola this thread is brilliant, and just what I expected to see tonight.

This morning I was driving to visit my poorly old Mum and I thought:
‘What if we win today, what if we could pull it off and grab another 3 points...?’

I imagined that such a result would probably put us very close to mid-table, not far from the top ten, and possibly, mathematically, even within striking distance of the play-off positions.

Then I started to think ‘If only........’ but I erased such thoughts by recalling that very recently we were just 4 points above the relegation positions.

So I get your thread Hoola, but would suggest that in the interests of your sanity, you don’t go there!

[RoversAlias]

If we finish where we are now or indeed higher as looks possible, then we have every right to label this a "very good" season as staying up was the requirement and we appear on course to do much more than merely surviving.

[phil old leake]

If only we hadn’t conceded all the injury time goals

[scawsby steve]

If only we hadn’t conceded all the injury time goals

Dead right, Phil; conceding after 85 minutes has cost us 12 points.